Central Powers

American  

plural noun

1. (in World War I) Germany and Austria-Hungary, often with their allies Turkey and Bulgaria, as opposed to the Allies.

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Central Powers British  

plural noun

1. European history

   1. (before World War I) Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary after they were linked by the Triple Alliance in 1882

   2. (during World War I) Germany and Austria-Hungary, together with their allies Turkey and Bulgaria

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Central Powers Cultural  

1. Germany and its allies (Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire) in World War I.

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Compare meaning

How does central-powers compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Allies vs. Central Powers

Example Sentences

Our soldiers were on the ground in World War I fighting to stop the advancement of the Central Powers across Europe.

From Washington Times • Nov. 11, 2020

World leaders opted for what Keynes called a “Carthaginian Peace”, designed to crush the Central Powers.

From Nature • Sep. 22, 2019

Six years before the series starts, British Empire stand-in The Burge retreated from the fae nation of Tirnanoc, leaving it in control of The Pact, a group inspired by the World War I Central Powers.

From The Verge • Aug. 15, 2019

Paradoxically, the Central Powers of Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary, which ended up being on the losing side of the overall conflict, were the victors on the battlefield in the east.

From Slate • Nov. 27, 2018

The little Balkan nation of Bulgaria, watching the Italian and Russian setbacks, threw in its lot with the Central Powers.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman